Video of Competency #2
If you prefer to listen and see me....….
Written version of Competency #2
Welcome to Leading-Within Wednesdays. Every other Wednesday, I will share a little bit about one of the 10 competencies introduced in the book, Leading Wihin Systems of Inequity in Education: A Liberation Guide for Leaders of Color.
Today….
Operate outside your comfort zone.
In the book, I discuss how even as leaders of color, we can fall into the white supremacy characteristic described by Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones (2001) as a “right to comfort.” As we take our seat at the table, we may become less open to criticism and surround ourselves with only people that will support our every action versus challenge and push us.
Being conscious of who we are, our privileges, and what we don’t know allows us to be open to seeking out connections and perspectives different than our own.
Some reflections questions to help you think about this competency:
What brings you the most discomfort in your work? What makes it uncomfortable and what steps can you take to lean in that discomfort?
What actions can you take to go from a “right to comfort” to
seeing discomfort as a gift?
More explanation of this competency, how to practice it, and additional reflection questions and resources are in Chapter 3. Two study guides are also available on the ASCD website - one for leaders of color and one for white co-conspirators.
If you started reading the book, let me know what you think!
See you next time when I give a brief preview into Competency #3: Practice love and rage.
If this is your first time reading, please go back and read my Introductions post.
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. If you like it, please share it with your network!